Forbidden - Part Two
by Penelope Applegate
Summary: "How can this be wrong when it feels... so incredibly right?" Two mystery men, but which will she choose? Don't spoil the fun - review with your guesses before you get to the end. Oh yes. Penny did it again.
1. Chapter 1

This was wrong.

_So_ wrong.

And yet so right.

Hands touching, exploring, lips pressing, pushing, light sighs falling from eager mouths.

This was wrong.

She told him so.

His warm breath caressed her neck as he leaned in for another kiss on her soft, sensitive skin. "How can this be wrong when it feels... so incredibly right?"

"_Him_. How could I do this to him?"

He let go of her, took a step away, and she immediately missed his warm touch. He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I know," he acknowledged in a subdued tone.

"I just..." She wanted to tell him to take her into his arms again. She wanted to press her lips against his and taste him once more. "I can't..."

"Can't what?" He reached down for his recklessly discarded shirt laying on the bed and tugged it over his head.

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing." She covered her face with her hands and turned away from him, ashamed. "I'm a terrible person."

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "No. You're not. You're... you're amazing."

She shivered involuntarily. "I should be with him right now."

"But you're with me."

"Yes."

"What does that tell you, Korra?"

She twisted away from his firm grip on her shoulder. "I don't know."

"Korra."

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Stop... saying my name... like that." His voice alone made her weak in the knees, but when he said her name like _that_...

"Korra."

"_Please_."

He inched closer to her from behind and planted a less than chaste kiss on the back of her neck. "I can't stop. You know I can't."

She inhaled sharply as a wave of conflicting emotions washed over her. She wanted him, desperately. But when she was with him... she didn't think rationally. "I need to go," she said rather unconvincingly.

"You just got here."

"And I shouldn't have come!"

"But you did."

She whirled to face him. "Stop trying to analyze me! Stop... stop..." Her voice trailed away as she stared up into his eyes. He took advantage of her momentary weakness and pulled her to him, capturing her mouth with a knee-weakening, soul-searching kiss.

"Stay with me," he whispered against her lips.

"I made a promise to him."

"You don't love him."

She yanked herself away from him. "Now wait a minute - don't you dare tell me how I feel."

"If you love him, then why are you here?"

She had no good answer for that. Her fiance was a wonderful man, a man any woman would be more than eager to marry. He was handsome and successful, and he worshiped the ground she walked on. She couldn't ask for a better husband. And yet...

"It doesn't matter," she shot back hotly. "You're too late. You're just... I can't..." He silenced her with another kiss, taking her lower lip between his teeth and nibbling gently. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her closer, sealing her body against his. His tongue swept into her mouth, and she melted into his arms once more.

This was _so_ wrong.

But it felt _so_ right.

**Does it look familiar, my loves? Course it does! I told ya I'd be back at it again, with Korra this time.**

**Muahaha. You know I love ya.**

**XOXO,  
Penny**


	2. Chapter 2

She turned the key in the lock and pushed her way into her apartment, heaving a heavy sigh. She was worn down and even more hopelessly confused than ever. Flipping the light switch, she kicked the door shut behind her. She didn't even notice the dark shadow lurking on her divan until he cleared his throat and said, "Getting home rather late, aren't we?"

She nearly jumped a foot in the air before recognizing her fiance. She held her hand to her chest, vainly attempting to slow the pounding arrhythmia of her heart. "Spirits, you scare the life out of me!" she exhaled nervously.

He smiled and rose. "I would say that wasn't my intention, but it actually was fairly entertaining," he admitted with a devious gleam in his eye as he moved towards her.

She couldn't stay mad at him. She rewarded him with a begrudging smirk. "You don't play nice," she accused.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I can't disagree," he said with more than a slight hint of humor in his voice. Snuggling deeper into his embrace, she delighted in the warmth and comfort of his arms. It was the perfect moment - until he broke the silence. "So what kept you out so late into the evening? Big trouble brewing in Republic City?"

"No, no," she denied immediately, shifting her weight. "Just... paperwork. And training. New recruits. You know."

She felt him smile against her forehead. "I love a woman so dedicated to her work."

_Dedicated._ He might as well have pierced through her with a dagger. "Yeah," she agreed numbly, pulling away from him. "Long day." She kept her gaze trained on the floor, avoiding his eyes.

He didn't seem to react to her avoidance. "Well, I won't keep you for long. It's been a long day for me as well, and I... I just had to see you." He tipped her head back gently with his bent index finger. "I couldn't think of a better way to end my day." Leaning down, he pressed a chaste, gentle kiss to her lips.

Her stomach churned inside her. She felt like an awful, stinking, lying coward. "Thanks," she mumbled her gratitude, face flushing.

"Hey." His brow furrowed, and he peered down at her intently. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah." She shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts. "I'm just... tired."

He ran his hand down the back of her head and kissed her forehead once more. "As I said, I won't keep you. I know the Avatar needs her rest, just like the rest of us." His mouth suddenly and unexpectedly took possession of hers. His kiss was intense, heartfelt, and sincere. The way his hands cupped her face so gently, as if she were a porcelain doll, made her heart crack in a million different places. She didn't want the kiss to end, but she felt as if she didn't deserve his love. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.

He was the one to pull away from her, planting another chaste kiss on the tip of her nose. "Good-night, Korra. I love you."

The words burned in her ears, overflowing the pit of guilt deep in her chest. "Good-night. Thank you... for coming to see me."

"It was my pleasure." The grin he gave her was more than friendly and shook her right down to her toes. She couldn't deny it. He _was_ an absolutely sexy man.

He flinched in surprise when she threw her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with an embrace to match his ardency. His surprise didn't last long, however; his strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her deeper into the kiss. His tongue brushed against hers in an intimate yet familiar dance. His love pulsed through her, to her very core, reminding her why she had agreed to marry this wonderful, beautiful man. He loved her. Maybe more than she loved him.

_Definitely more_.

The thought shook her, and she broke their kiss abruptly. "I... I should... um, sleep - I..."

He smiled, taking her rapid retreat as a sign of disorientation and an attempt to restrain herself. They had long ago agreed to wait until marriage. He was a man of his word. He would respect their decision. "Yes. Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes," she echoed faintly, allowing him to kiss her one last time on the cheek before he left her apartment.

She fell into a nearby chair, utterly exhausted and spent. She didn't know how long she could keep up this charade. She needed to figure out her heart and reign it in - and _fast._

**Any more guesses? No, I'm not friendly with clues - yet. In due time, my dears!**

**35 visitors and 2 reviews? Tsk tsk. If you're really following along, you'll have to do better than that. I actually finished this installment last night but didn't want to publish it because of the lack of reviews. It's true... I lose interest in stories to which I have no response. Shall I go on? Let me know!**

**XOXO,  
Penny**


	3. Chapter 3

It was a week before she saw him again. Inevitably, their paths would cross again and again, simply because of work. That frequent contact, due to their line of work, was what had started this problem in the first place. They were each soldiers of a different sort, charged with protecting the city in this time of turmoil. However, she had been fairly successful at avoiding him, ducking into a nearby room or turning on her heel and charging off in the other direction as if she'd never seen him. But he was everywhere. Sometimes, she really hated being the Avatar. It made it impossible to disappear._  
_

Dusk settled upon Republic City as she waked a side street on her way home to her apartment. Naga was resting that day, struck with another monstrous cold. A large, furry, sneezing polar bear dog was not exactly welcome on the streets of Republic City. She was focused on kicking _him_ out of her head when a strong arm yanked her into a dark alley. Before she could scream, a hand clapped over her mouth.

"You're not going to be difficult, are you?"

She wriggled from his grasp and turned to punch him in the arm - _hard_. "You're such a jerk sometimes!"

He smirked at her, attempting to wrap his arms around her waist. She slapped him away immediately. A confused expression settled on his face. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"What's the _matter_?" she hissed, peeking out into the street to make sure they weren't being watched. "Can't you take a hint? I've been ignoring you for a week!"

"You have?"

She really wanted to hit him again. It was entirely too tempting. "I'm glad you noticed!" she growled through a clenched jaw.

He smirked again. "I'm just teasing. Of _course_ I noticed. And I missed you." He stepped forward to take her into his arms again, but once more she denied him. "Fine, I'll bite." He ran a hand down his face. "What did I do wrong?"

"Don't patronize me. I hate that."

"I'm not patronizing you."

"_Yes_, you _are!_" she insisted, crossing her arms in front of her defensively.

It did not have the desired effect. If anything, his smirk grew... smirkier. And he said very coyly, "You know, you're kinda cute when you pout."

"You're infuriating!" she seethed, struggling to keep her voice down.

"Are you seriously upset with me?"

"Why are you so freaking smug all the time?"she demanded, turning away from him. This was exactly why she needed to stay away from him. They were either all over each other or at each other's throats. Except this time, he wasn't fighting back. He was _amused_.

She didn't realize he had come closer until she felt his breath on her neck as he leaned in for a kiss. She hated it - _hated it!_ - when he kissed the back of her neck. He knew it was her greatest weakness. She flinched but found herself frozen in place as he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she protested weakly.

"Does he make you shiver like this?" His lips caressed the sensitive skin beneath her ear, and though she fought it, she couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine. She knew he was grinning in satisfaction.

"But I love him." Her words sounded foreign to her own ears.

"_I_ love you."

"You said that before."

"I meant it before."

"But you left."

He didn't answer her because she was right. Slowly, he withdrew his arms from around her waist, and she found herself missing his warmth immediately.

"You only want me because I'm getting married to another man, and that hurts your pride," she accused in a biting tone. She hated the way he made her feel, and she hated the way he made her question her engagement to a man who had done nothing but love her selflessly. This should be black and white, cut and dry. She shouldn't be anywhere near him.

"I've _always_ wanted you," he said quietly. The conviction in his voice chilled her to the bone.

"You haven't always acted like it."

"I'm sorry."

They stood in stony silence for a few minutes as she beat herself senselessly in her mind. She should never have encouraged him... she should never have allowed him to kiss her that night...

"We could go away..." he suggested uncertainly.

"What?"

"You... me... we could get away from here. Just the two of us."

"What," she scoffed, "makes you think I would agree to go anywhere with you?"

He was quiet for a moment, but she didn't dare turn around to see what sort of expression his face held. "There was a time when you loved me."

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to remember, briefly, what it felt like to be young and in love. But it was so long ago...

"That time is gone," she intoned decisively, steeling herself. "You broke my heart."

"And he didn't?" he demanded, the frustration ringing in his words.

"That was different," she snapped sharply. "Our separation was mutual. We were just kids."

"And what were we?"

She huffed and kicked at a pebble near her foot. "Just a couple of animals."

"Korra..."

"Stay away from me, okay? I mean it." With that, she stormed off into the street and towards home. She didn't allow herself to look back, and she didn't allow herself to consider, _what if...?_

**Well you all complained I'm no good with clues - which is true, that's totally intentional - so I tossed a couple subtle clues in here, if you can pick them up. I lost my muse for all of November, and even writing this felt forced and unnatural, so if it's not up to normal Penny par, then I apologize. Just didn't want to leave everybody hanging. I promise, more clues to come in the next chapters. Just review with your love/hate. I love it all.**

**XOXO,  
Penny**


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